Light of a Shadow
by BebePanda401
Summary: Black and white, the most fabled opposite to ever have been known. Another meaning of black and white is 'Cheren' and 'Bianca'. Two opposites destined to always balance one-another out, no matter where they are born. -Cheren/Bianca, series of prompts.


**_Author: _**_BebePanda401  
**Story Title: **Light Of a Shadow  
**Warnings: **None.  
**Rating: **'K+' to be on the safe side.  
**A/N: **Because the feels of DualRivalShipping have just been pouring into my heart as of late, I decided to write-up a number of 'prompts', if that's what you call them. Why I wanted to write these, I probably shall never know. But what I do know is, I don't think it's healthy to constantly think of ideas for this ship- I mean seriously, I actually dreamt up one of these. Oh well, who's complaining? Oh, do I see a hand over there in the back? Well guess what? :P I don't care~ Anyway, on with...whatever this is!_

* * *

_**~Light Of a Shadow~**_

_#1:_

"Man, I'm beat! Cheren, sometimes I don't know how you manage with all these books and papers...too many words!"

Bianca stretched her arms, her eyelids narrowing with clear signs of fatigue, as she lay her head on the desk. Cheren merely rolled his onyx eyes at his friend's lazy attitude- for someone aiming to become a Pokémon professor, she didn't half complain about the necessary amounts paperwork that she had to fill out. Fair enough, they _had _been at it a good few hours, but this wasn't anything he wasn't used to.

If anything, she would make a better research subject for Fennel's dream-mist project than a professor. As he shifted his gaze from her to the book he was reading, he found it to be a useless attempt to try to coax her to finish. If there was one thing he had learned from Bianca in all the years he knew her, is that when she needed rest, she _**needed **_rest.

He could try, however.

"Professor Juniper _did _ask you to fill them out, Bianca. Are you going to disappoint her because you cannot be bothered?" Bianca glared at him, half-playful and half-serious. With Cheren's uptight attitude and gawky sense of strictness, it was a wonder why _he _wasn't aiming to become a professor. But then again, most of the famous professors within every region were described as 'free-spirited' and 'laid-back'- two things Cheren seemed to lack.

Maybe that's why she liked him so much- because she had things he didn't, and vice-versa.

_('Not that I'd ever admit it to him, of course!')_

Raising her head slowly, she gave a sleepy smile at him, saying, "I guess you're right. You always put things so bluntly though." She teased, smiling at him- her eyes closed, lips perked impossibly upwards, eyebrows anything _but _furrowed.

As Cheren spared one glance at her, his own eyes widened in shock. There was the smile he had grown up with- the one that belonged to the dreamer that constantly doubted herself. The same girl, even though she had changed, was still there, the same Bianca he knew and cared for. It was amazing how different she had become, but still retained all the things that made her who she was.

He blinked again, as Bianca looked at him- confused. "Are you okay, Cheren?" He suddenly realized how close Bianca was to his face, her own filling with concern. Going slightly red, he turned away from her.

"I'm fine. J-just hurry up and finish your paperwork already..."

As she moaned and grabbed her pen, he gave a small smile.

_('She's still there. The girl I grew up with. She's still here.')_

_**~x~**  
_

_#2:_

A well-known fact about friends: they aren't always there when you need them.

Although they usually mean well, and they want to be there for you in your time of need, sometimes their own lives get in the way of that. Sometimes, they're just too busy with things, or they are too pre-occupied with their own jam-packed agendas. And normally, most people can accept that. Sure, most would be a little upset with their friends, but that's just human nature. Completely natural.

But for some, there are points in life where you need them the most. Touko knew that Cheren was constantly busy from being a gym-leader, and Bianca was finally happy with her progress in her role as an assistant, and both were dedicated to their jobs. She was over the moon- truly, she was. But...but this was a time she wanted them near. To reassure her that everything would be okay.

And that time was today. She had cried so much those earlier weeks- which was a trait not commonly found in her time-line. She was confused, she felt alone, she wanted so many people near her. N, her mother, her Pokemon...but she mostly wanted her two best friends, who had stood by her for her entire life.

And they finally realized, she needed them. _Now._

Kneeling beside her, Bianca's facial features portrayed nothing but a sombre regret, for not comforting her childhood friend when she needed it the most. Cheren, not so much showing emotion- but it was clear he was concerned, and highly upset at his own actions, through the painful look in his eyes. He was standing up, but soon knelt in front of her, struggling to hide behind his normally-uptight façade.

"Touko...we're- _I'm_ really sorry...you tried so hard to keep us happy by not bothering us about your feelings, didn't you? So you suffered in silence, whilst we thought everything was fine, when the truth was so far from that- too far from that." Sniffling, she looked up, seeing the same two familiar, warm faces from her childhood.

"But y'know Touko... whether you like it or not, your pain is our pain. We know you miss N, we know you're confused, and I can tell your angry for searching for him for that long, when he was here in Unova. You feel betrayed, yet you can't let go of your feelings towards him, can you?" More tears fell from the recipient's eyes, Bianca's words seeping into her mind, and Cheren's.

"We're here for you. Don't you dare hold back your feelings again, or I'll never forgive you." Cheren's words were short, yet had the same affect that Bianca's did. More tears, silent confessions of worry, and the confusion of being alone clearing up for the trainer. She may have been a hero, but these two were her _saviours._

None of them mentioned the tight grip they had on each other's hands.

_**~x~**_

_#3:_

Letters.

Something that the world of communication seemed to have forgotten, par a few people. The kind of people who actually took the time to scratch the surface of paper with words from their mind. A letter was like a monologue of the heart, something that text speak or audible words couldn't hold a candle too. Unfortunately, many people had opted out of sending letters.

Not Bianca, however. As she sat down at the desk at her work, she tore open the white envelope eagerly, and began to read out the contents- mainly the one she needed to read, since it applied to her growing feelings.

_"Dear Bianca..._yadda yadda..._I just challenged Red, lost again..._wow, she actually found the legendary champion...? Ah, _oh, so you wanted to know about loving guys who are tsunderes? Well, I also faced the same problem you did. See, I had this rival who is one of the biggest jerks I've ever known- but I love his red hair to pieces! Ah, I'm being an idiot again. Okay, back to business. what you do is-"_

"Bianca, who are you talking to?" She heard a voice call. Her face paled almost instantly, as she heard the deep, mature voice of Cheren call her from the other room. As she heard footsteps approaching, she could only think of herself as an idiot- only she would read a letter about romance out loud whilst the object her affections were here...!

"U-uh, I was just reading a letter!" She could almost give herself a facepalm- _that _wasn't something she wanted him to know either!

"Oh?" His head peeked around the door, a genuine interest present. "Who is it from? A guy?" Bianca pondered if he were maybe jealous for a minute, before shaking it off and hiding the letter behind her back. He couldn't find out now...!

"N-no, it's from a friend of mine from another region. She's the girl who beat the champion, Dragon Master Lance last year, remember?" He held his hand to his chin and squinted his eyes momentarily, before a memory of what she said had looked to have resurfaced.

"You mean the girl with the weird marshmallow hat?" Bianca nodded. "I see. So anyway, what is the letter about?"

She paled again, only this time it rivalled any ghost. Or Castform.

"U-uh, it's a bit embarrassing, you wouldn't want to read it." Why was her mouth constantly betraying her today? That comment would only make him even more curious! Why was she born with the mouth of a Jigglypuff on sugar!

"Why not? Is there something about me in there?" Her face went red for a second _(nailed it nailed it nailed it)_- but then found herself panicking as he tried to snatch it from her hands, trying to see its contents. Frantically trying to keep it away from him, she swirled her chair around- nearing even more of her friend's letters, as Cheren playfully attempting to snatch it from her.

"C-Cheren!" She shouted, as he smirked. It was rare to see Bianca like this- acting like him when he was embarrassed. It was a sight he would savour, but he had to wonder why she was acting so protective over this letter...was there something about Touya in there? No, no he wasn't jealous! Not in the slightest! Just...just curious about the letter! That was all!

"I-gwak!"

They both did _not _plan on the chair swivelling over a computer cable, and turning on its side, causing both Cheren and Bianca to crash into the desk. They also did _not _plan on papers being flung everywhere. And the two of them most certainly did _not _plan on Bianca lying on top of Cheren's chest! _(Which, much to her embarrassment, had been a lot more toned in the last two years)._

The two teenagers turning bright red, Bianca shot up, spouting out apologies that Cheren could barely make out. Rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, he saw a piece of paper sticking out of Bianca's hand, and quickly took it from her, much to her utter horror. His own face turned red, his left eye twitching.

"S-she asked you how two male Pokémon _mate__?_" The blond could almost faint in pure happiness- he hadn't found the letter~!

"U-uh...yeah." Standing up, he offered Bianca a hand, which she took. Again, the two were awkwardly close together, as they took a step back, to avoid any more feelings of being flustered.

"Do you want some help cleaning this up?" Bianca knew why he asked- he didn't want to run into any more of those letters. Shaking her head, she smiled at him.

"It's okay. Only a few fell on the floor. But thanks." He seemed reluctant to go, before she added, "I could use a cup of coffee though. You know how I normally like it."

Smiling gently, he walked out the door, and Bianca sat back on her chair in relief.

_'Maybe one day, I'll show you that letter. But not today.'_

_**~x~**  
_

_#4:_

"Cheren, do you think I'm fat?"

The question appeared innocent enough to Bianca. She was asking the opposite sex about her looks, and expected a decent enough response- either a yes or a no. Cheren, she found, was the best person to ask: he was direct, was never one to beat around the bush, and she knew him well enough to be confident in asking. So naturally, he should answer, and pass it along as a trivial question.

However, he looked at her with utter grimace. Did he not want to answer because he thought she was?

"Why do you ask?" His reply was somewhat bitter, as if the words she asked left a bad taste in his mouth. Oblivious, she just tilted her head, trying to remember why she asked.

"Well...I thought about trying out for the fashion shows that Elesa does- I have too much spare time now-, but these girls just laughed and said I was too big to try. So I wanted some advice...of course, they always laugh at me anyway...maybe I shouldn't have even bother to try, right?" She answered so nonchalantly, was she not offended in the slightest?

Gripping his fists, he calmed down when he saw her smiling, and drew a deep breath.

"Bianca...let me tell you something. You're going to be hated on, wherever you go. That's just the habit of life. I won't answer your question, but I will tell you- you're perfect the way you are. Don't worry about what size you are. Just be you, and that's all you need to make the ones around you happy. And as for fashion shows, I'll be right back."

As Cheren left, Bianca felt a massive blush grace her features. _Never _had Cheren complimented her like _that. _It was a shock that she could barely think she was awake for her, and had to pinch herself to convince herself that it wasn't a dream.

Meanwhile, in the other room, a faint voice said, _"Elesa, I don't suppose you could do me a favour? See, I have a fantastic girl who could model for you, and appeal to other girls that they don't need to be stick-thin to be accepted- like that appeal you're trying to do..."_

_**~x~**  
_

_#5:_

A dark shadow over a meadow of beauty- that was what Bianca defined death to be.

Death was cruelly tragic. Nobody ever knew when to expect it, and when it hit you, it hit you _hard. _When death struck another life down, it feels like a part of you has been ripped out, and sucked into a black abyss, never to have light shine down on it again. It was like removing a jigsaw piece from a puzzle- each piece that is taken makes the picture seem distorted, and worse; not complete.

Gripping the stalk of the rose in her finger tips, she allowed the fragile being of life to descend into the ground below, along with her beloved starter. It had fallen prey to master death, but this was the rare one they saw coming, for it had shown signs of ill-health for months. She prayed he would get better every day. She received no answer.

The ceremony was short, only a few attended. Touko was unable to make it, as she was stuck in Snowpoint city's devastating blizzard. After the closing speech, one-by-one they left, until it was only Bianca kneeling at it's grave, where her starter peacefully rested within. The fact made her feel anguish and despair, the rain not helping her mood either, each raindrop she absorbed caused her emotional walls to corrode.

Umbrella in hand, Cheren sheltered her from the rain, and knelt down, placing a hand on her shoulder. He had been present for the funeral, and had stayed behind to comfort his childhood friend. The crestfallen look on her face was a message enough- no words were needed as she cried into Cheren's chest, the umbrella soon being tossed aside. Death was hard to accept, it always would be.

But like a challenge, it could always be overcome.

Just not today.

_**~x~**  
_

_#6:_

**"A man of ideals."**

_"A woman of truth."_

**"A boy of arrogance."**

_"A girl of naïvety."_

**"A name of darkness."**

_"A name of light."_

**"A weakness to the future."**

_"A weakness to the sad reality."_

**"Seeking strength."**

_"Seeking proven worth."_

**"Pursuer of knowledge."**

_"Purser of newly born dreams."_

"In the beginning of the world, there were only words to give and receive. Even today, words are the one gift that doesn't cost anything. Soon, these words began to develop a conciousness, and eventually formed the spirit of a human, destined to always have an opposite. Black and white, the most fabled opposite to ever have been known. Another meaning of black and white is 'Cheren' and 'Bianca'. Two opposites destined to always balance one-another out, no matter where they are born."

_**~x~**_

_#7:_

"Stoutland, use hyper beam!"

His commands excelled into the skies above, as Cheren stood at the pinnacle of his victory. His stance held a strong, almost authoritative appeal to it, which matched his smart attire. One wouldn't think he was once an arrogant, know-it-all fourteen year old boy just a distant two years ago, when starting a journey seemed the most brilliant thing in the world.

His opponent, Alder, held a much more casual and laid-back pose, his back slightly crouched with a crooked smile. His apparel was a traditional garb, not even lavishing what he had accomplished in his life. He may have passed on the championship to the Dragon Master Iris, but his presence still caused many to want to even bask in his glory.

As Bianca refereed the match, she noticed the change in her childhood friend. He was always one to calculate battles to precision, always the one to over-analyse things. But now, he was taking risks with his manoeuvres. He more studied on his Pokemon's stamina and their personal reactions to moves, how they coped. He was allowing _them _to control the battle in which they fought, letting the wielded be the wielder.

After a while, Cheren had witness another eve of defeat from the former champion. But instead of frustration and crying, like all those years ago, he simply shook Alder's hand in a manner of respect, smiled lightly and said, "No matter how many times I'm defeated, I'll never give up trying to beat you. You can count on that."

She felt proud. That competitive spirit was still there, his onyx eyes still shone with determination.

_('He has changed for the better. But the boy I grew up with...the Cheren I know and love...he's still there.')_

_**~x~**  
_

_#8:_

"What about this one, Bianca?"

"Yiii~ It's so cute! I love this Pokémon!" Bianca cheered, as N pointed to another picture. Bianca's face lit up almost immediately, as if all the stars of the cosmos had just imprinted their glow on her face and into her eyes. Her smile seemed contagious, as it spread to N almost instantly after her lips perked upwards, his even wider.

"Me too! Of course, all Pokémon are wonderful, but this 'magazine' delivers them with backgrounds that truly, _truly_ complement their natural beauty!" N had deducted that this kind of media was not bad for Pokémon, as it was a conservation magazine for preserving their natural habitat. Clasping her hands together, Bianca let out another girlish squeal.

However, a few metres away, two figures had enormous sweat-drops planted on the back of their heads. A female with curly brown hair pulled into a pony-tail just sighed, whilst the male's eyes merely twitched at the scene.

"They're just like a pair of teenaged girls...well, Bianca _is _one, but N- he's twenty for Arceus's sake!" As N let out a rather..._feminine _squeak, Cheren could only grimace at the trouble she and N would face in the future.

"How did you fall in love with him again...?" He questioned, as she just glared at him.

"Well, if you're finally feeling like Mr. Hotshot, why don't you go and ask him? Although, he doesn't even know that a dress belongs to women." Cheren didn't even want to imagine the horror, but was thankfully cut off from the image when Touko added on a, "probably the same way you fell in love with Bianca."

That fact alone was one of the rare thing Touko and Cheren both agreed on; both of their love interests, although they cherished them dearly, really did act like a pair of teenaged fangirls when it came to Pokémon.

It was tough being the boyfriend sometimes.

_**~x~**_

_#9:_

"Cheren~!" Bianca chimed happily, holding a container in both hands.

A she got to the back part of the gym that Cheren lived at, she found him at his desk, reaching for something on a top shelf. Smiling broadly and excitement brewing in her gut, she didn't think to knock. He'd know it was her anyway- since the events of Team Plasma's comeback, she had been making it a regular routine to visit Cheren on his days off.

"Mm?" He mumbled, not too keen to answer. Oblivious, she just held the container in the air, hoping he would respond as happily as she did.

"Look at this!" She beamed. He still didn't look.

"Very interesting." Cheren replied, his emotionless, somewhat bored monotone not faltering even once. Pouting at his answer, Bianca now noticed his disinterest of the subject, and temporarily ceased any sound from coming out her mouth. Wondering what to do to get his attention, she looked at the ceiling for inspiration. Her face then lit up again, when an idea came to her mind.

"Cheren, we're going to be parents!"

Well, let's just say that was enough to make him fall off his chair, and crashed on the floor. His eyes wide, he took note of Bianca's teasing face, not sure how to respond other than a choked out, "W-what?"

Showing him the Pokemon egg, she cheered, "Professor Juniper gave me an egg to raise, and I thought you could help me! So technically, we'd be parents to a Pokemon!"

As she skipped merrily out the door, Cheren just smiled, unaware of what was going on, muttering a, "I give up..." before passing out.

_**~x~**_

#10:

Collar constantly being tugged at _(out of nerves), _a familiar raven-haired gym leader stood at the door of Nuvema Town's very own laboratory for the research of Pokémon. He held one arm behind his back _(the hidden object in his grip)_, the other hand was either fiddling with the rim of his shirt, or on the brink of knocking on the entrance to the building, only to hesitate and withdraw it back to his side yet again.

Cheren would be lying if he said that he wouldn't run. Heck, his legs were barely under his control anymore. All they seemed to have processed was to flee to the hills, and partake this event when he was ready. When he was _ready. _That was something he had told himself for the past month, it was a poorly written excuse now, not a justifiable reason.

Swallowing hard, he raised his hand up and knocked on the door. He stiffened when he heard a cheerful, _"be right there!" _emit from the inside, and deduced- this was it. He could either run from facing her, or go through it like a man.

As the door opened, the surprised look on her face was enough to want to make him fall over. Luckily, extensive training - meaning he had readied himself for this moment for around two weeks - meant he did not embarrass himself like that.

"Cheren? What are you doing here?" Shock was clearly in her voice, her lips slightly parted in disbelief. Cheren had to analyse how much she had changed for a moment- the brief reunion in Aspertia city didn't really give him time to register how much she had...well, for lack of better analogy, _developed. _Her once perky and upward hair now pointed down, and her newly acquired glasses made her look more intellectual and down-to-earth.

Still, her face held the look of dreams untold, and her eyes still sparkled with that same determination and never-fleeting faith in life and all it had to offer the world. Yes, she had changed, but in the course nature had allowed her to, and it wasn't a forced path of different.

Face going slightly red, he cleared his throat. "I-I, um..." His mouth went dry, his words betraying his thoughts, of what he wanted to say to her. She went from shocked to perplexed; as far as she remembered, Cheren was never lost for words.

"Do you need Professor Juniper? She's not here at the moment, but if you want, I can call her for you-" As she began to walk inside, he grabbed the sleeve of her orange jacket in haste- not wanting her to leave just yet. His confidence was only starting to return to him, and her going back inside may ward away the bravery that was storming in his gut.

Bianca was, quite frankly, stunned at his sudden gesture. As he cleared his throat once again _(finding it was becoming a habit of his when flustered)_, he articulated his voice of reason, saying, "A-actually, I needed to see you today."

Teeth gently clenched together and jade eyes widened, she faced him again, muttering out a flustered, "oh."

Releasing her sleeve, she turned to look at him fully, not quite sure of his reasoning. Sure, Cheren was her friend, he had been ever since she could remember. She, Touko and Cheren had grown up together, got their first Pokémon together: lived together, even. But even she couldn't fathom why he was here to see _her. _They hadn't retained much contact since Touko left on her search for N, so there wasn't much of a need for him to be here...and besides, he probably had more important people to see these days, not including her.

She failed to notice Cheren's cheeks prep with a scarlet blush, as he held up the object hidden behind his back.

It was a bunch of flowers- lilies, to be precise, tied with an emerald-coloured ribbon.

Her own cheeks dusted with a rosy hue, as she took it from Cheren's hand, her fingertips dainty and careful, as if scared to damage the delicate texture of the petals. The unique, yet pleasant aroma filled her nose, making her mind momentarily escape within a blissful heartbeat. Her eyes glazed over with pure wonder, as she saw Cheren adjust his tie, refusing to look her in the eye.

"What...what are these for?"

Still refusing to give eye contact, he found himself looking in all directions, trying to find anything of interest _(besides her)_. "Just...just look at the card attached."

Finding the small card in question, she flipped over, and read out the contents, "_Bianca, I may not be able to see you as often as I used to, but that...that doesn't make you any less important to me. I just want you to know, you are one of the people...that I cherish...most in the world, and I'm sorry for not seeing you as much as I would have liked...so I hope, if it's not too late...there is room in your heart to forgive me, and maybe accept me back as your friend again..._"

The lids of her green orbs brimmed with tears, as she read the last out the last of the message. Inhaling the scent of the flowers, she gave Cheren a watery smile, who was nervously anticipating her answer.

"Cheren, would you like to come in for a cup of tea?" She asked, somewhat casually, somewhat hopefully. With those words ushered, it was like a ray of sunshine had punched Cheren in the face and helped him back up, as an uncharacteristic smile shot up, his lips perked.

"I'd love to. And Bianca..." he began, his smile more gentle, "thank-you."

* * *

_**A/N: **And there you have it. Guys, I cannot say it enough- please review, they make me feel loved and want to write more of these! Thank-you!_


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